Santa Cruz County, Arizona
Among the top 2% of US counties for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade B, better than 65% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade A+, better than 98% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade C, better than 30% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B, better than 66% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade D, better than 11% of US counties
- top 2% for sunny days
- top 10% for annual snowfall
- bottom 5% for unemployment
Santa Cruz County is a county in Arizona with about 48,000 residents. It grades A+ for weather and D for lifestyle & connectivity. Standout strengths include sunny days, annual snowfall, and airport distance. It rates lower on natural disaster risk and unemployment.
Official websitesantacruzcountyaz.gov (opens in new tab)
Climate
Sweltering, dry summers · Cool winters · Dry
comfortable
warm
hot
sweltering
hot
warm
comf.
cool
91%76%clearovercast
Precipitation 1.7 in0.4 in
humid 38%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$52k25th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$43kbetter than 76% of US counties
Home Value$197k66th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$741better than 69% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$1kbetter than 69% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.67%better than 68% of US counties
Income Tax2.50%better than 80% of US counties
Sales Tax8.38%better than 28% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden7.81%better than 79% of US counties
Unemployment9.8%better than 5% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)52°F92nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)86°F99th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation12.3 in3rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.1 inbetter than 90% of US counties
Sunny Days306 daysbetter than 98% of US counties
Summer Humidity55°Fbetter than 86% of US counties
Comfortable Days75 daysbetter than 38% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk88.3better than 11% of US counties
Air Quality37 AQIbetter than 77% of US counties
School Quality40.9better than 17% of US counties
Violent Crime623/100kbetter than 61% of US counties
Property Crime1560/100kbetter than 24% of US counties
Community
Population47,83868th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age37.318th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.5993rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9412th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+364th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)15.1%4th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)0.2%9th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)83.1%97th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)0.1%18th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)1.6%10th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time23 minbetter than 58% of US counties
Walkability5.6/20better than 34% of US counties
Airport Distance40 mibetter than 86% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access82.4%better than 44% of US counties
Amenities Nearby0.00better than 12% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessLimitedbetter than 19% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Santa Cruz County an affordable place to live?
- Santa Cruz County is relatively affordable. Its cost-of-living index is $43k, better than 76% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Santa Cruz County?
- The median home value in Santa Cruz County is $197k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Santa Cruz County?
- Median household income in Santa Cruz County is $52k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Santa Cruz County?
- Median gross rent in Santa Cruz County is $741 a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Santa Cruz County safe?
- Santa Cruz County is safer than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 623/100k (better than 61%). Property crime is 1560/100k.
- What is the weather like in Santa Cruz County?
- Santa Cruz County averages 86°F in July and 52°F in January, with 12.3 in of annual precipitation and about 306 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Santa Cruz County?
- Public-school quality in Santa Cruz County is below average, scoring better than 17% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Santa Cruz County?
- The average one-way commute in Santa Cruz County is 23 min.
Other counties in Arizona
Explore Arizona
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)